Apr 28, Kathmandu - Two political parties have merged to form a new party in Israel in a bid to defeat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in this year’s parliamentary elections.

Former right-wing Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and centrist opposition leader Yair Lapid have merged their parties to form a new party called Yachad, which means “together.” The news made headlines in Israeli newspapers on April 27. The decision makes Yachad the largest opposition party. Bennett has become Prime Minister Netanyahu’s main rival.

Several Israeli media outlets have described the merger as “dramatic” and said it is aimed at removing Netanyahu from power. Almost all major newspapers have printed photos of Bennett and Lapid on their front pages. Bennett and Lapid had previously joined hands to remove Netanyahu from power in 2021, but the tenuous alliance, which was formed with the common goal of removing Netanyahu, quickly fell apart.